LEJOG
1572.7 km12580 m
End to end
LEJOG Cycle Route
Land's End to John o' Groats, roughly 980 miles / 1,570 km, crossing Cornwall, England and Scotland to Britain's northern tip. The classic end-to-end ride, with a GPX built for touring and planning.
Recommendations
Bike
Touring
Road or gravel with bags. A race bike is optional.
Tyres
28/32
25 mm will do if you like it firm. Carry a spare.
Experience
Two weeks
First-timers do this every year. Keep days to 50 to 70 miles.
Route breakdown
0k -> 109km
Land's End
Easy lanes, Atlantic weather+260 m up · 180 m down · 59–139 m
The signpost and the Atlantic. First hours are Cornish lanes. Photograph the post and leave with a layer you can unzip; the weather here changes faster than the gradient.
109k -> 228km
Bodmin and the Moor
First test+562 m up · 565 m down · 43–40 m
Bodmin Moor on a wet westerly is the first real work. Eat in Bodmin or Launceston. Cornwall is rolling rather than alpine, and it still feels long if the wind is from the west.
228k -> 378km
Exeter
Rolling out of the south-west+125 m up · 166 m down · 47–6 m
Proper city, trains if you need to skip a day, last of the far south-west. From here the island gets bigger in the middle.
378k -> 536km
Bristol and the Severn
Steady, stay on the file+320 m up · 113 m down · 6–213 m
You leave the West Country. Stay on the GPX through the city and the crossings. This is a backbone, not every National Cycle Network badge in sequence.
536k -> 678km
Birmingham fringe
Long days, not Alpine+63 m up · 175 m down · 144–32 m
Canals, suburbs, a day that feels longer than the hills suggest. Dry your kit. The north is still a long way.
678k -> 901km
Manchester and the north
Industrial, then hills again+531 m up · 528 m down · 36–39 m
Industrial north, then the pull toward Cumbria. Overnight somewhere you can dry kit. The weather will have changed since Cornwall.
901k -> 1061km
Carlisle
The Border+273 m up · 280 m down · 14–7 m
Scotland starts to feel real. Gretna is a few miles on. This file is Land's End first, so the north can still be a fight if the wind has gone north-easterly.
1061k -> 1375km
Glasgow
Urban, then the Highlands+720 m up · 750 m down · 49–19 m
Biggest city of the ride. Keep the GPX on until you are north of the Clyde. The next chapter is the one people remember.
1375k -> 1573km
Inverness
Last city+213 m up · 300 m down · 94–6 m
The Great Glen or the east-coast line, depending on the file. Last city of size. The far north is exposed and empty. Buy food here.
1573km
John o' Groats
The other signpost
Photograph the post. Look for a bed in the village. The ferry to Orkney is a different trip.
FAQ
How far is LEJOG?
Most touring diaries land between 870 and 1,000 miles. This GPX is in that band. Shortcuts and scenic loops move the number.
How many days does it take?
Two weeks is a strong touring pace. Three is civilised. Keep food in the bag before Caithness.
Should I ride JOGLE instead?
John o' Groats to Land's End puts more of the prevailing wind behind you. This page's file is Land's End first.
Is this an official National Cycle Network route?
No. LEJOG is a challenge. Pieces of NCN show up; the GPX is the through-line.
Where do people sleep?
Towns on the file: Bodmin, Exeter, Bristol, the Midlands, Manchester, Carlisle, Glasgow, Inverness. Book the far north early.
Where do I download the GPX?
Use the button on this page. The file is public and available without an account.
More route guides
C2C Cycle Route
A shorter sea to sea if LEJOG is too much island.
Way of the Roses
Lancashire to Yorkshire in a long weekend.
Hebridean Way
Island touring instead of the whole country.
All route guides
The rest of the named-trail library.
Download the GPX, or score today's wind
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